The Beginning
by nalaa
Summary: Imagine that Sam never left, that Josh sticked until the end, that Toby didn't leak the story, that Leo didn't die, that Santos didn't win … The chain of events that pushed Danny and CJ together never happened. It's the last day of the Bartlet Administration, it's time to say goodbye and go on with a life that's been on hold for the past nine years.


**Disclaime**r: I do not own The West Wing or its characters.

* * *

It was an unusual quiet day at the West Wing. The Inauguration was over, in less than an hour the new White House staff would be filling the offices and the halls they'd been living in for the past eight years. They were all gathered together in the Communications bullpen not knowing what to do. They had watched the speech, their work was done. One by one, the assistants and the other staff said their goodbyes and left the room. At the end, only the former Senior Staff was still there.

"So, what's next?" Sam asked.

"Do you have anything to do?" Leo asked them. They shook their heads. "Let's go have lunch. My treat." He offered.

"My office in five minutes?" CJ told them.

"Yeah." They answered.

While everybody went to their respective offices to gather they things, CJ walked into hers for the last time. She opened the closet and grabbed on her coat, her scarf and her purse. She left them on the desk and took a last look around her empty office. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Leo step in behind her.

"You did great in here, CJ." He told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Why doesn't feel like it?" CJ asked.

"Never does." Leo replied with a grin. "But you did an amazing job as Chief of Staff and I know it wasn't easy. You held all this together."

CJ didn't know what to say other than thank you. She told him while giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Leo took her coat and helped her put it on. She put the scarf around her neck and grabbed her purse. Just at that moment the rest of the boys got into the office.

"I called and got us a table at the Oval Room." Josh announced.

"Everybody said their goodbyes to the place?" Leo asked them.

"Why don't you meet me outside? There's a place I want togo before we leave." CJ said.

"We'll wait outside." Toby told her, knowing exactly where she wanted to go.

They left CJ's office and walked together down the hall. After walking by her old office, the men continued while CJ made the detour. She opened the door of the Press Room and walked inside. She took the step up to the podium and stood behind it in deep thought. She ran her hand over it, looked around the room, and left through the side door.

Her friends were waiting there, standing together and talking. When she approached them, she noticed that there was someone else with them. They heard the sound of her heels and broke the semicircle they had made around the mysterious person. She stopped dead in her tracks while the men in her life smiled widely.

"Danny?" She asked, surprised, still not believing that he was really there.

"Hey." He simply said, his hands in his pockets and grinning like a little boy.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in Germany." CJ asked him.

"Now I'm here." Danny told her while he slowly walked to where she was standing. "We made a pact, four years ago." He whispered so the others couldn't hear him.

"I thought you forgot." She whispered back.

"Never." Danny replied, taking both her hands and leaning closer to her. "I'm in, if you still are."

"I am." CJ told him, smiling.

Their gazes met and the old sparks resurfaced between them. They didn't say a word, the look in their eyes spoke louder than words.

"Would you kiss him already, Claudia Jean? I'm hungry!" Josh yelled from his position behind Danny.

"What do you think?" She asked Danny, smiling.

"I'm waiting." He replied, still grinning.

Slowly, their lips met in a chaste but wonderful kiss. Then, Danny let go of her hands and gently grabbed her face, pulling her in a deep breathtaking kiss. They heard the whistles around them but they didn't care. When the need for air overcame them, they broke the kiss and fell in an emotional hug. A few seconds later, they reluctantly let go and, hand in hand, joined the others.

"About time! We're dying over here." Josh teased them.

"Shut up." CJ told him after smacking the back of his head.

"Are you joining us, Danny? We're going to the Oval Room." Sam asked.

Danny looked at CJ and she nodded. "Of course." He told them.

Leo, Toby, Josh, Sam and CJ. Former White House Senior Staff and from there, a tight group of friends. Danny Concannon, former correspondent from The Post and the new member of their family. Together, left the grounds of the White House to write the beginning of their new life.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
